The Carolina Panthers have thrown their unrivaled support behind wide receiver Xavier Legette. They believe he can make a difference despite his sluggish start to the campaign. Some fans hold a different opinion, but the jury is still out either way.
Legette's been the subject of intense criticism from fans and the media this week. His historically bad statistical performance in Week 2 made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The 2024 first-round pick was accused of not putting in the right effort, and his hamstring soreness to begin practice this week resulted in head coach Dave Canales taking him out of the firing line.
It's not ideal, but Legette hasn't lost the locker room's confidence. And one of his wide receiver teammates came to his staunch defense amid the ongoing ridicule regarding his performance levels.
Tetairoa McMillan speaks for Carolina Panthers locker room on Xavier Legette
Tetairoa McMillan, the rookie sensation who's made an exceptional start to his NFL journey, backed Legette to turn things around. The Arizona product highlighted his confident demeanor in the face of adversity as the primary reason behind his belief that the tide will turn sooner rather than later.
"I'm not worried about him at all. I know that come Sunday, he's going to show up, and the main thing for me, and what I see in him, is his confidence. He's a confident dude, and he's staying confident regardless of the outcome, regardless of whatever's going on. We all preach about the ball finder, and I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to come out on Sunday and make a play and be the reason why this team is doing so good."Tetairoa McMillan via Panthers.com
This is a vote of confidence in Legette — one that he probably needed during such a turbulent time. But the only thing that matters to the team's long-suffering fan base is how the former South Carolina standout performs in a competitive regular-season setting.
Showing up in practice isn't going to cut it anymore. The Panthers have had plenty of camp or practice standouts who cannot get it done when things matter more. Two of them — Terrace Marshall Jr. and Jonathan Mingo — were highly touted draft picks. Legette cannot add his name to this list.
Canales hasn't lost faith. He's going to keep Legette on the field. He's going to keep giving him opportunities to make an impact. But if the same problems keep coming up, it won't take long for that to change.
What comes next is up to Legette. And it could legitimately go either way.